How to Improve Your Nonprofit Operations in Less Than Two Months
[[Notes_from_the_Non-Profit_Boot_Camp|Back to Notes]] *Heather Carpenter, Nonprofit Management Employment Alternatives (NMEA) *Jennifer Chien, New Nonprofit Nexus *Link to Presentation Goals of this workshop *Spend less time worrying about Nonprofit Operations *Spend more time on program work and achieve your mission Overview: 10 Steps to Success in Nonprofit Operations Topics covered: *Insurance *Human Resources *Financial Management *Fundraising *Board of Directors Step 1: Review the organization’s insurance policies *General Liability *Special event forms *Non-hired auto *Directors and Officers *Errors and Omissions Step 2: Create a new hire packet Training orientation procedures for new employees. Step 3: Review employment records Organize records to include relevant information: *employee attendance *disciplinary warnings *vacation requests *employment hiring forms *benefit enrollment forms Step 4: Review the accounting books *Resolve accounting/bookkeeping errors *Incorporate Nonprofit Chart of Accounts and/or clean up the chart of accounts *Hire an accountant on a monthly basis to review the financial books and provide Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP) procedures. Step 5: Create accounting/bookkeeping procedures and necessary forms *To keep in compliance with GAAP procedures. *Create reimbursement/check request Step 6: Review vendor lease agreements and bill paying practices *Implement any cost saving methods the organization can take with working with its vendors. *For example, pay off a lease early to avoid having to pay an excess amount of interest. Step 7: Review Database and File Saving Methods *Create database entry procedures *Train staff on those procedures *Create a file saving procedure (e.g. NameofFileDateVerson.doc) Step 8: Review Development Tracking *Create procedures for grant writing and submitting grant proposals as well as cultivating the donor relationship *Create fundraising calendar that includes grant deadlines, report dates, and renewal dates Step 9: Board Policies and Procedures *With board’s advice and input *Create or revise board orientation binder and board job description *Compile board minutes from all previous board meetings and place together in one binder, or one binder per year *The board minutes are supposed to be available for the public at all times Step 10: Plan for the rest of the 10 months of the year *Review marketing practices of the organization including website, newsletter, and promotional materials. Plan steps for improvement of these materials. *Print out Healthy and Secure Computing booklet from Compmentor and start technology inventory. Assess the computer and networking situation in your office. *Plan how to templatize the organization’s event planning process so that events can be easily replicated, then create procedures for event planning. *Hire a personnel attorney to start to review and provide recommendations for Personnel Manual to be in compliance with the state’s employment law. *Organize the accounting paper files so they are ready for an accounting review or audit. *Assess whether or not an office move is necessary. Then take steps to look for a new office space. (See the Nonprofit Operations Blog) Where can I get more training and information about the topics covered today? *New Nonprofit Nexus *Nonprofit Operations Blog *Monthly Nonprofit Operations brown bag lunch discussions - Starting Wednesday, September 20th category:bootcamp